Increasing Greenery and Biodiversity

Increasing Greenery and Biodiversity

Policy and Approach

While human livelihood and corporate activity is supported by the various blessings of nature, today, the planet’s green environment and biodiversity are rapidly slipping away.
Efforts to maintain greenery and biodiversity will allow us to sustain the blessings of nature for future generations. In terms of the Investment Corporation’s business activities, this will be expressed as providing our tenants with comfortable office and residential spaces that are in tune with nature. This leads to enhanced competitiveness of our portfolio.
MHR and MIM will create surface microenvironments where humans live in harmony with nature and shall provide spaces that excel in biodiversity and are rich in vibrant greenery. We will also foster people’s environmental communities through these spaces.

Promotion of Greenery

MHR aims to increase the "green ratio" by proactively undertaking the landscaping of open spaces and rooftops.

Green Ratio of Major Development Projects (2018)

Name

Completion

Site area (ha)

Green area (ha)

Green ratio

ARK Hills

1986

4.96

2.14

43.23%

Akasaka Tameike Tower

2000

0.57

0.27

47.68%

Atago Green Hills

2001

3.85

1.99

51.69%

Roppongi Hills

2003

9.59

2.74

28.54%

Toranomon Hills

2014

1.71

0.52

30.30%

(Reference) All of Minato-ku

2,034

452

21.78%

The rooftop of Suntory Hall at ARK Hills

Mouri Garden at Roppongi Hills

Heat Island Measures

Spaces where trees have been planted have various elements that provide coolness, such as the water-retention effect of the ground supporting the trees, transpiration of the leaves and shading from direct sunlight.
It is said that these spaces help to relieve the heat island phenomenon.
Thermal images from aerial photographs clearly show this effect as MHR-owned properties such as Roppongi Hills, ARK Hills and Atago Green Hills have more “blue areas” that represent a lower surface temperature than their surroundings due to having many plants on site. (Photo By Skymap Co., Ltd. )

Environmental Community

On the rooftops of Roppongi Hills’s Keyakizaka Complex are themed gardens corresponding to the four seasons, surrounded by seasonal trees in all four directions.
Nostalgic sceneries from the Japanese countryside such as rice paddies, vegetable gardens, cherry blossom pathways and lakes with killifish and stone moroko are reproduced.
The rice paddies are used throughout the year in community activities. Tenants in the offices and residences experience the joys of the rice cycles by participating in spring planting and autumn harvesting.
The harvested rice is used such as for mochi pounding for the new year.

Protection of Animals and Plants

Atago Green Hills is a redevelopment project planned around blending the office and residential high-rise towers with the abundant nature of the adjacent historic Atago Shrine atop Atago Hill that has been around since the Edo Period, three temples, the NHK Museum of Broadcasting and other buildings.
In this plan, the earthwork was reduced to a minimum to utilize a landform that presents differences in elevation.
Moreover, flora and fauna are protected by positioning a plant preservation zone running from Atago Hill.
Additionally, natural green roads that pass through the green slope have been established on the site to allow pedestrians to enjoy the greenery.
This also reduces the impact on flora and fauna to a minimum by keeping pedestrians from entering the green areas.